Anne Knock

My top 10: Building a Culture of Teams

I presented a workshop today about building a culture of teams at a workshop at the CSA National Leaders Conference. We put the ‘work’ into workshop. We talk about the 21stC skills that our students need to navigate the future, yet who are they going to learn them from? If schools expect to prepareContinueContinue reading “My top 10: Building a Culture of Teams”

Making Change Stick: Five priorities of an effective team

Build a Culture of Teams The team is always going to be greater than the sum of its parts. We all benefit from PD in action all day every day. (Teacher at NBCS) Creative and innovative organisations value strong team culture. Quality key relationships reinforce a culture of teams throughout the entire school – when a school’sContinueContinue reading “Making Change Stick: Five priorities of an effective team”

My Top 10: Making change stick

Implementing and then maintaining lasting change in your school occurs by design, not by default. We want to transform our education system into one that can effectively prepare young people for the many opportunities that await them. To do this change and innovation must become an integral part of the corporate DNA. Transforming schools isContinueContinue reading “My Top 10: Making change stick”

What if school nurtured the passion and interest of every young person?

School systems everywhere inculcate us with a very narrow view of intelligence and capacity and over value particular sorts of talents and ability. Some of the most brilliant, creative people I know did not do well at school. Many of them didn’t really discover what they could do – and who they really were – until they’dContinueContinue reading “What if school nurtured the passion and interest of every young person?”

We aren’t really mourning the loss of a bookstore, we are mourning the loss of a ‘place’.

Are books still relevant? Isn’t it really about a place to go? I wandered through the skeletal remains of my local Borders I saw book remnants on tables at heavily reduced prices, discounted non-book items apparently aimed at boosting flagging sales, empty shelves and fittings on sale. Rather than mourn the loss of another bookstore,ContinueContinue reading “We aren’t really mourning the loss of a bookstore, we are mourning the loss of a ‘place’.”

What’s the difference between the ‘Open Classroom’ of the 1970s and ‘Open Space’ learning today?

Students working in multi-age groups Teachers as coaches Teams of teachers worked collaboratively with one another Spaces reconfigured to for large and small group projects and individual work Architects commissioned to design schools without walls. Teachers given discretion to create new academic courses Students direct their own learning. This sounds like the types of learningContinueContinue reading “What’s the difference between the ‘Open Classroom’ of the 1970s and ‘Open Space’ learning today?”

Read // Watch // Share // Connect

This post has been written for participants at a conference in July where I am making a presentation to teachers. Rather than only focussing on pre-reading, I have decided to provide a range of digital approaches that include reading, watching TED Talks, finding some relevant blogs and signing up for Twitter. The conference theme is “Embracing Change”. IfContinueContinue reading “Read // Watch // Share // Connect”

Horse first, then the cart: Vision before programs

It is very easy to come up with the good ideas, someone says “we should do [insert idea here]”. Unless ideas flow from a bold compelling vision, we are merely making the existing paradigm a little shinier. Programs are great, but only when they are part of the strategy to achieve the overall vision AContinueContinue reading “Horse first, then the cart: Vision before programs”

The Leaders Dilemma: Who am I and why would they follow me?

Leadership is a risk, a challenge, it’s hard and painful, but also an extremely rewarding endeavour. Effective and lasting change requires leaders who can overcome their own personal frailties and insecurities and keep stepping up for the greater good. There are two things that every leader asks at some point: – Who am I toContinueContinue reading “The Leaders Dilemma: Who am I and why would they follow me?”

Navigating the 21st Century: A reality check amidst constant change

In education and in life in general we are in the midst of immense change, which can be unsettling and disturbing. Much of that is because we assume that our current life experiences have been the norm forever, when in reality, it has only been within our lifetime. As I have written about before, whenContinueContinue reading “Navigating the 21st Century: A reality check amidst constant change”